What can Montessori offer our infants & toddlers?
Why Start in an Infant or Toddler Program?
Research clearly shows that the most important period in a human being’s educational and emotional development is not, as originally thought, the years of high school and
“ Preview Copy Only At no other age has the child greater need of intelligent help…” — Dr. Maria Montessori
college but rather the first six years of life. We know, of course, that the brain is not a muscle;however, like a muscle, the brain develops through active use. This is especially true in the years of infancy and early childhood.
We invite you to get more information about Montessori by going to www.Montessori.org, reading The Montessori Way or How to Raise an Amazing Child, talking to the school admissions director or head of school, or reading some other brochures in the series. Compliments of ...
The Montessori Foundation 19600 East SR 64 • Bradenton, FL 34212 941-729-9565 • 800-655-5843
www.montessori.org
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In the past, many people pictured a child’s mind as a blank slate on which adults, through instruction, could “write out” the content of a good education. Likewise, another common metaphor was that of an empty bowl, waiting to be filled with the contents of the school’s curricula. Dr. Maria Montessori demonstrated that both concepts were inaccurate.
guage, spatial relationships, music, art, social graces, and so much more. If, during this period, the mind is stimulated by the child’s exposure to a rich environment, the brain will literally develop a much stronger and lasting ability to learn and accomplish.
There are four common types of Infant/ Toddler programs offered ...
accept toddlers from fifteen months and older, although this lower age range may vary due to local regulations and the school’s decision about how it wishes to organize the program. Generally, the low end of fifteen months is followed because by that age, most children are fairly mobile and have become very independent. Most toddler programs will begin with a somewhat older child of eighteen months, or even as old as twenty-four months. These groups will commonly include children up to thirty-six months of age, at which time the child is normally ready to move into a Montessori three-to-six class.
Preview Copy Only The young child’s mind is more like that of an acute observer or scientist who is eager to learn, explore, try new things, and master new skills. But most importantly, she recognized that the earlier we begin a program of intellectual, physical, sensory, and artistic education, the more dramatic the results, as children demonstrate they can concentrate, absorb, master new ideas, and develop new skills.
This is a time of tremendous brain growth in the areas of lan-
■ Parent-Infant Programs: These programs are designed to assist parents of very young children in understanding child development and the Montessori strategies for helping parents to respond to the needs they observe in their infants. These programs give parents an opportunity to observe their children and, through discussion, learn how they can best respond to their babies’ needs.
■ All-Day Toddler Programs: These programs are quite similar to the half-day toddler class, except that children may remain all day (nine to ten hours). Obviously, in these programs, ■ Montessori Infant-Care Programs: For those who accommodations need all-day care, there are a handful of Montessori must be made Infant-Care profor napping, grams, which meals, outdoor normally accept time and play, infants aged six art, food prepaweeks to fifteen ration, and other months of age. activities. BeWith infants, the cause of the luxschedule of the ury of the day is dependent on their needs. Each baby has a difextended hours, ferent schedule for feeding and sleeping. these programs provide more to ■ Toddler Half-Day Programs: These programs will children. normally run for two or three hours a day. Some will